Mockingbird
by BlackProdigy
Summary: "I had no choice, and be damn sure I will have no regrets." He said obsidian eyes blank, hard and emotionless as he leaned forward to stare into the camera. "...either you find my brother of she dies."
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Mockingbird**

**Pairings: Naru/Sasu**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, full stop...(but Kishi...if you want to sign it over to me, you wouldn't regret it...promise.)**

**Summary**: **"I had no choice, and be damn sure I have no regrets." He said obsidian eyes blank, hard and emotionless as he leaned forward to stare into the camera. "...either you find my brother of she dies.**

_**A/N: I'll tell you people right now, watching the most heart-warming episode of Law and Order S.V.U and having an overactive imagination **__**ISN'T**__** a good idea...even worse if you have this NaruSasu muse that slaps you so hard you have to give in. It sucks.**_

_**Anyway, this is going to be three to five chapters long.(but don't really count on that...my imagination holds all the cards here people. You people know I have such soft spot for a self-sacrificial Sasuke...so...no surprise there...and I watch toooooo many crime dramas for my own good.**_

_**So let the party begin**_**.**

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Uzumaki Naruto, Special Victims Officer, sauntered into Kohona's Central Police Department with a mega-watt grin on his face, his patented retina-melting orange shirt peeking up under his scuffed grey leather jacket while holding his usual diabetes inducing cup of hot milk and sugar splashed with the barest hint of coffee.

Every eye he met grinned back at him and to those who looked close enough whistled mentally at the line of blaring hickeys climbing up his tan neck. It promised to be a good day for the twenty-three year old officer; yesterday he had gotten a well-deserved bonus after corralling one of the city's most notorious pimps, drank three bottles of tequila last night before having _amazing_ sex, and cumulating the perfect hat-trick, suffered no hangover the next morning.

Yeah...life was good.

Well...not really.

"Well hello dickless..." vice officer, shameless creep but insanely brilliant homicide detective named Rumino Sai said leaning over their joining cubicle partition, his usual leer bouncing off Naruto like a weak refection. "...soooo...who was he?"

"No one you know..." Naruto said daring to lean into Sai's space and whispered into his ear, "But be assured..._**she**_ didn't call me dickless."

Sai shuddered as he turned around and faked a vicious hurl into his trash can. "Please handsome...spare me the visuals."

Naruto grinned as a heavy hand clapped unto his shoulder, "Big boy blue...my man."

The blond didn't have to turn around to be blinded with the grin of homicide officer Inuzuka Kiba, the tanned skinned man's best friend from diapers. Naruto turned around to see Kiba grinning so hard his eyes were squinted closed, the inverted orange tribal tattoos on his face making a scary double to his sharp canine-near-vampiric teeth glistening from under his lips.

"You pulled it off, didn't you." Kiba didn't even wait for his answer before slapping Naruto even harder on his back making the blond to stumble and almost spill his drink. "Even though she is such a- ."

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed, closing his eyes for a second to reflect on the intense heat and friction of last night. "That girl can bend like a rubber band...It was _**perfect**_ dude, I'm tel-"

And then _**everything**_ went to hell.

Every monitor in the room, even the seventy foot console in the centre of the room, flicked on while the major lights dimmed. Kiba spun around confused. "What the hell was that?"

Then _**it**_ started.

Static buzzed over the screens for a minute and then the feed cleared to allow them to see a roof of a dark empty room, with corroded and dripping pipes for a dragged out and tense two minutes. By that time every officer was silently watching the closest monitor to them.

Then a harsh stadium-light snapped into place. The camera slowly lowered to show battered knuckles and nail-torn hands manacled to a pair of plastic handcuffs, a second later showed a muddy head of pink hair, two seconds later it lowered to reveal wide green eyes and a tear and mascara streaked face and finally it showed a shivering, half nude body clad in lacy green bra and a tiny pleated skirt.

The whole room went static. Naruto's clenched his hand around the Styrofoam cup so hard the burning liquid surged to the opening and burned his hand. He didn't feel a thing.

A message, in blood red then scrolled across the bottom of the screen; _**"3 days without food she becomes weak, 3 weeks without water her major organs shut down...3 months under this light she goes blind... 3 minutes without air...she **__**dies**__**."**_

"_**Jesus." **_Kiba whispered eyes wide. "What kind of sicko does this..."

Naruto grit his teeth. He knew, first-hand, what kind of deranged person would do something like that, and with all the mental strength he possessed tried to not reach up and trace over the scars of his cheeks. Brutally he shoved the urge back into the darkest ether of his mind to focus on the problem staring him in the face.

Meanwhile another message scrolled across the screen: _**"You have five hours to find her...**_**this**_** time, every five hours that passes she will be moved...here's a clue...good luck."**_

The feed zoomed into the a small tattoo on the rise of her heaving breasts, it was a small, stylized picture of a cherry blossom, it held for about fifteen seconds then the whole thing disappeared immediately. The lights flicked back on.

Silence.

_**Utter**_ silence.

A tense beat.

"UZUMAKI, RUMINO AND INUZUKA!" came the grated roar of Chief Baki Shuoko's shout from the doorway of his office, "MY OFFICE, _**NOW**_!"

Naruto grimace, took a sip of scalding coffee before dumping the whole thing into the trash. Good day his ass.

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

_**Well, that the intro... I'm telling you guys straight up, this is not a gore story...#bleggggh.**_

_**Be patient people. Oh and about "Summer Camp", almost there guys...this bunny slammed into my head so hard it had to be written. **_

_**OH, and I have a poll on my profile; it's about Summer Camp sequel 'Drafted'..please go see it, participate and help me figure it out.**_

_**Peace.  
>Prodigy.<strong>_


	2. The Hunt

**Title: Mockingbird**

**Chapter 1: The Hunt**

**Pairings: Naru/Sasu. Kiba/TenTen**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, full stop... (but Kishi...if you want to sign it over to me, you wouldn't regret it...promise.)**

**Summary**: **"I had no choice, and be damn sure I have no regrets." He said obsidian eyes blank, hard and emotionless as he leaned forward to stare into the camera. "...either you find my brother of she dies.**

**A/N: Not a lawyer people... I was a sort-of paralegal though. Most of this knowledge comes from watching a sh*t load of crime shows. I do not recommend you watch Law and Order, S.V.U or Criminal Intent so much that you can reiterate every word; it's gets weird and sometimes freaks me out.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>Less than five minutes ago...<em>

_Silence._

_Utter silence._

_A tense beat._

"_UZUMAKI, RUMINO AND INUZUKA!" came the grated roar of Chief Baki Shuoko's shout from the doorway of his office, "MY OFFICE, NOW!"_

_Naruto grimace, took a sip of scalding coffee before dumping the whole thing into the trash. Good day his ass._

* * *

><p>"What the hell just happened?" Baki shouted making the three wince hard and fear for their structure of their eardrums. The chief's one uncovered eye pierced them all.<p>

"We need to fin-"

A triple knock on the door; Shikamaru, the eighteen year old hermit cyber-technical analyst for the unit stuck his head in the door.

"Chief...we've got another problem."

The older man turned his full glare on the genius scion of the Nara family, "_**WHAT**_?"

"This." Shikamaru said clicking a device he had either butchered of invented to turn on the monitor in Baki's room. The plasma monitor clicked on and with another click went to local news station.

"Christ." Kiba groaned. The station was showing a clip of the video they had just watched not even three minutes ago; content edited of course.

"This guy has some _serious_ technical knowledge; bordering criminal." Shikamaru said easing himself into the room and leaning against the doorjamb. His hands shove into his large grey and brown hoodie, tendrils of his hair escaping from his sloppy ponytail. The teen reached up and tugged at his solitary silver earing,

"I've gotta give him his props though... hacking into that networks database and I.P address with all those nasty firewalls isn't easy."

Baki's sharp eye cut into Shika's, "You sound like you've d—you know what I _don't_ want to know." Baki said slamming his hands down on the desk. "What I _want_ to know is where this asshole is so we can corral his ass. You-" he glared at Shikamaru, "Get all those fancy nerds of yours to track this guy down, and-"

"You know," Sai spoke up, "It could be a girl."

"Doubtful." Someone else said walking into the room, the genial but thorough facility psychoanalyst; Umino Iruka. "The level of sadism is not indicative of a female presence or mentality."

"'Ruka!" Naruto said shooting out of his chair and grabbing his mentor in a one armed hug. "Haven't seen you in weeks."

A small pat on the back, "Same her-"

"This is NOT a reunion people!" Baki shouted, "We have forty-eight hours to find this girl and grab the perp; the damn press in one our backs and I don't want the mayor and his horde of human rights groups on it too."

"Shikamaru, trace that damn video. Uzumaki and Rumino, this girl doesn't look older that nineteen, check the local high-schools and universities. Beat the local tattoo parlours; find the artist that did that work and you'll find her. Kiba, get that fancy state prosecutor girlfriend of yours to get us a warrant."

Kiba's head snapped up, "On what grounds, boss-man?"

"Think of something." He snapped, "Forty-eight hours people. MOVE IT!"

(*)(*)(*)

"I've got to say," Naruto grimaced, pushing the precinct door open to find a horde of angry protestors mobbing the parking lot, "These people react fast."

"It's a small town, dickless." Sai said yanking the door of his non-descript Nissan car open and slipping inside before anyone could grab a hold of him. Naruto, though, wasn't so lucky.

Some man shoved the blond up against the hood of the vehicle and shouted, "YOU! WHAT ARE YOU USELESS OFFICERS DOING ABOUT THIS GIRL!"

Sai winced at the flash of anger in blue eyes; Naruto could take a lot of abuse, verbal and psychical but calling him 'useless' was straying into danger territory.

"Sir," Naruto said as calmly as possible, anger still slithering through his cobalt orbs. "We are doing everything possible to find this girl and perp. So if you don't mind, move... you're wasting our time."

Opening the door he slid in beside Sai, teeth grit and tan fist clenching on his jean clad thigh. Sai tore out of the parking lot like a hurricane. Hitting the freeway, Sai glanced over to the silent blond and snorted, "Still letting those idiots get to you, huh."

Peach lips opened then shut for a moment. "The thing is they don't know half the bullsh—you know what..." he said shrugging, "forget it...let's find this chick already."

"Now you're talking." Sai said pressing the gas causing the G-Force to slam Naruto back into his seat.

"Jesus Sai!" Naruto shouted, "Do you want us to get killed?! We're officers, we shouldn't be break-"

The detective just casually flicked a switch and the siren on the dashboard flicked into life, the swirling red and amber light giving clear notice that it wasn't a civilian vehicle.

"Bastard." Naruto murmured grumpily peering out the window, "We're we going anyway?"

"The Bougie Boulevard." Sai said simply.

The 'Bougie Boulevard' was the moniker given to the posh upper east square of artists, film and play studios, operas, karaoke bars, and 'beauty' parlours. Reaching the lane, Sai drove to the sector where the tattoo artist had claimed for themselves.

"Out handsome." Sai said grimly sighting the long line of tattoo shops, "We've got to canvas the whole area...it's not going to be pretty, easy or quick."

Naruto got out, determination edged into every line of his face. "Let's go."

_****5 hours later****_

"Well, that was useless." Sai sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Not a damn lead."

Sympathetically Naruto handed him a cup of coffee, "She had to gone to some esoteric place to do that work or hired a private artist. Is there anywhere else you can think of?"

Sai paused thinking while unlocking the car and starting it, "There is one place I know...but I doubt she would go there."

"Where?"

"The West Side; Red-light district." Sai returned making a hair-pinned U-Turn, breaking then shooting off again.

Something dark shivered through the blond; his tan eye-lids slipping to half-mast for a minute; his mind involuntarily shoving a memory of a dark room, cold, rough ropes, a knife and hopeless sobbing.

The car came to a shrieking stop. Naruto snapped out of the memory; opened the door and got out while looking up at the calm, beautiful sky. Considering the circumstances the bright sunny day felt just wrong.

"Stop fantasizing blondie." Sai said securing his gun holster and badge, "We need to move."

Nodding Naruto followed the Rumino down an alley; littered with trash, discarded cardboard boxes, graffiti, overfull dumpsters and suspicious smears on the wall. The reached a half-hidden door behind a fire-escape and Sai immediately pushed the door open. The inside was murky, with strong smoky incense that immediately burned Naruto's nose.

"What the hell is this?" the Uzumaki asked looking furtively around the room; automatically recording the room's layout and emergency exits. A slap on the back was all he got and snide grin.

"An old fashioned opium-den; handsome."

Naruto snorted in disbelief but a niggling portion of him still considered it; because hey, this was Sai. They rounded a corner and he breathed in relief; in the centre of the room was a black reclining tattoo chair and surrounding it were the machines; pasted on the wall were blown-up snapshots of past work. Piled on the table shoved against the far wall were large album books of the same.

"Asshole." Naruto murmured, breathing deeply.

"No." Sai said leering, "Yours honey." he then turned to the empty room and shouted, "Sasori, get your ass out here."

A shuffle. A man, half-cloaked in darkness emerged from the adjoined room. He looked disembodied. Naruto's brows furrowed, what the... then a shaft of red-ish light illuminated the man. He was wearing a midnight black cloak with red symbols on the hem and sleeves.

"Sai." He murmured as smoky as the room; eyes barely shifting to Naruto, "What can I do for you?"

The slim detective held up a print of the small stylized Sakura tattoo. "Did you do this?"

The man peered at it for a moment, reeled back and shook his head, "No...I don't do anything so...mainstream...and besides...it looks like a sorority tramp stamp to me."

"You're suggesting she's a prostitute?" Naruto spoke up.

The man grabbed a rag and wiped his hands, "No... not that kind of tramp stamp. I've heard of some local girls in a sorority with that tattoo; I've heard it some kind of initiation rite."

Sai nodded and turned away; but Naruto paused for a second. Facing the man he asked; "Out of curiosity...what do you do, anyway?"

Sasori smiled, "If you really want to know...come back...I promise you...you won't ever forget it."

The blond shivered and hastily made his way out.

Back in the car something shot into Naruto's mind. "Hey Sai, gimme that photo?"

Without looking Sai handed the snapshot over to the bronzed man. Naruto squinted down at the photo so hard that his eyes nearly crossed. Raising the picture to eye level he took a minute then grinned.

He jabbed a finger to a small dark line beside the tattoo. "Phi Beta Kappa." He announced half-singing. "That guy was right...she is in a sorority."

Sai immediately braked, shifted gear and spun around shooting off to the opposite direction to the local university. "Good work, blondie."

A toothy grin appeared just as the Uzumaki's phone rang. "Hello?"

"Naru," it was Shika, "She's a sorority pledge, try the upstate un-"

"You're late Nara." Naruto crooned as Sai pulled up in the university's parking lot, "We figured that out ten minutes ago."

"Good boy." Shikamaru snorted sarcastically. "I suggest y'all hurry up. The chief's getting some backlash from the Mayor's office _and_ the opposition."

They got out of the vehicle, Naruto palming his badge, "Namikaze's just putting up a puppet-show...he knows how we work."

"Well, work faster." The Nara hung up.

They headed straight to the dean's office, flashing their badges to everyone. Even though hurrying Naruto quick eyes picked up on some strained and worried faces; obviously some had seen the video.

Someone bumped into him; a wide-eyed cropped redhead. "I-I'm sorry." She stammered, looking up at him, "You're looking for that girl, aren't you?"

He paused, "Do you know her?"

She shook her head, "No...I've seen her around campus, but the Acting Dean should kn-"

She glanced up over his shoulder, eyes flying wide and scampered away like a wild rabbit.

"What the h-" he started to murmur.

"ABOUT DAMN TIME YOU GOT HERE!" someone bellowed, "WHAT? DID YOU GO FOR A FACIAL BEFORE YOU GOT HERE?"

Naruto and Sai spun around and faced a large, silver-haired man stomping to them with a clipped stride and stone-set face.

"You are?" Sai asked as the man stopped mere inches before them.

"Jiraiya Sannin, acting Dean."

"Sannin-san," Naruto asked a calmly as possible, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, special victims unit."

The man's eyes widened for a second at the mention of the name but Naruto ignored it, filing it away for later. "Do you know the girl?"

"This is big school son." He replied a smidgen of hardness leaving his face, "I don't have that po-"

"Excuse me." a timid voice sounded behind them. They spun around to find a small boy looking at them with wide red streaked eyes. Clearly he'd been crying, "I'm Konohamaru...I know her; she helps me with my bio-chemical assignments."

"Who is she?" Sai pressed.

The boy opened his mouth but someone beat him to it. "Her name is Haruno Sakura." A female voice interjected. The girl who stepped up to them had long platinum hair and pale greenish eyes. "She's my stepsister."

"What's you name miss?"

She crossed her arms over his ample lavender clad bust, "Yamanaka Ino. Her father married my mom three years ago."

"Ms. Yamanaka." Naruto asked, "If she is your sister, you should've suspected someone was wrong."

She sighed, "Sir, she and I don't actually get that much along. Even though we are in the same university, we run in way different circles. She's in Medical, I'm in Humanities."

"All the same," Naruto half growled "y-"

He was cut off by Sai's gentle calming touch; "Ma'am," Sai asked evenly, "Do you know of anyone who would want to harm your sister?"

She shook her head, "Not a single soul. Around here they call her Saint Sakura; she works at a bookstore down town, she volunteers at the local homeless shelter, she gives free extra-lessons, she even started an emergency fund for students who can't afford their textbooks or lunches."

"Damn." Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair, "That's a lot of ground to cover."

His phone rang, "Yes?" he asked tersely.

"Blue-eyes." It was Shikamaru with lilting tone in his voice, "I contacted a..._friend_...of mine from high-school who now works for Homeland Security...she traced the video...it originated from a single dorm room in the Faculty of Sciences; the current residence of that room is a teen named Uchiha Sasuke."

It was like a light had gone off in Naruto's head, "Thanks Shika; we owe you one."

"Eight more like it." the genius retorted; signing off.

"Jiraiya-san," Naruto asked, "Do you know of an Uchiha Sasuke?"

The man went pale. "U-Uchiha Sasuke?"

They nodded in tandem.

He grimaced, "Yes I know him...his great-grandfather built this university from the ground up."

Naruto knew exactly what was running though the man's mind; arresting a stakeholder like that; even if he was released and cleared of all charges would set a black cloud over the entire school; the district even.

But still...

"Nevertheless." Naruto said coldly, "Just received intel that the video came from his room. We need to find him, immediately."

"Sasuke?" Ino's half-panicked voice cut in, "_**Uchiha**_ Sasuke?"

"Yes." Sai asked, "You know of him?"

She giggled half-manically, "The whole school know of him...half the girls here are obsessed with him and every guy here hates him to his bones."

She pulled out her cell phone, quickly pressed a button and shoved the screen into their faces; the pic showed and insanely handsome-bordering- androgynous nineteen-year old, alabaster skinned, raven haired, almond eyed and thin peach lips.

"He's the school heartthrob." Her voice hitched. "You think he could have done this?"

"We'll see." Naruto said turning to Jiraiya. "Where can we find him?"

"He should be in his Behavioural Psychology class right now." Ino filled in for him spinning around on her stilettoes, "I'll take you there."

They left in a hurry, exiting the main hall and sprinting across campus to a building semi-circle shaped, wrapping around a wide blue marble fountain.

"The lecture hall on the next left." Ino said, voice still trembling.

The entered the room; classic lecture hall style, staggered seats rising one level at a time to the highest point. The lecturer a tall silver-haired man with a dark scarf covering half of his face spun around to meet them, open book in one hand.

A beat. "Officers...may I help you?"

"We're looking for an Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto said clearly.

Deep, _**deep**_ dead space silence. Every shocked eye in the room turned to stare at the corner seat on the fifth row where the teen in question was lounging adroitly against the wall smirking.

"Sas-" the lecturer said a note of incredulity in his voice.

The teen held up a hand, rolled his shoulders, coolly packed his books into a dark artistically shredded messenger back, steadily made his way down to the base floor and just as calmly skipped over Sai and stared Naruto in the eye.

"About time." he snorted.

The attitude in that voice made Naruto immediately bristle. "Uchiha Sas-"

"Am under arrest for kidnapping, aggravated assault and possibly attempted murder. Anything I say can be used against me in a court of law. I have the right to an attorney, if I can't afford one the state will assign one to me; am I right?" he filled in for them hiking the bag's strap higher on his shoulder.

"Right in one, smart-ass." Naruto shot back.

Sasuke grinned and to the shock of everyone, calmly held out his wrists to be handcuffed. "Just make sure I don't hit my head in the car because I'll be suing your asses."

They silently cuffed him and just as they were approaching the door someone shouted, "Sasuke?"

They paused to look a cinnamon haired, pale eyed teen clearly from the prestigious Hyuuga family.

The Uchiha tossed his head to the smiled, "Don't worry Neji...I know what I'm doing." Turning back to the two he arched an eyebrow, "Are we going or not?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter one...bet none of you suspected anything that just read; didja? I've realized that for some reason all my serious stories have something to do with crime, psychology and mystery.**

**Meh.**

**Black Prodigy.**


	3. The Deal

**Title: Mockingbird**

**Chapter 2: The Deal**

**Pairings: Naru/Sasu. Kiba/TenTen**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, full stop... (but Kishi...if you want to sign it over to me, you wouldn't regret it...promise.)**

**Summary**: **"I had no choice, and be damn sure I have no regrets." He said obsidian eyes blank, hard and emotionless as he leaned forward to stare into the camera. "...either you find my brother of she dies.**

**A/N: Not a lawyer people. Not a doctor. Not a nurse. Not a bio-chemist. Not a psychiatrist. Just a journalism student with an overactiveimagination and way too much time on her hands.**

* * *

><p><em>Sasuke grinned and to the shock of everyone, calmly held out his wrists to be handcuffed. "Just make sure I don't hit my head in the car because I'll be suing your asses."<em>

_They silently cuffed him and just as they were approaching the door someone shouted, "Sasuke?"_

_They paused to look a cinnamon haired, pale eyed teen clearly from the prestigious Hyuuga family. _

_The Uchiha tossed his head to the smiled, "Don't worry Neji...I know what I'm doing." Turning back to the two he arched an eyebrow, "Are we going or not?"_

* * *

><p>One hand in the centre of the Uchiha's back Naruto snapped his cell open and speed dialled Kiba. The second the Inuzuka answered the phone Naruto said;<p>

"Please tell me you've got that search warrant."

"Almost done blue eyes." Kiba snorted, "When Bambi told us about the video origin TenTen immediate got a search warrant under 'probable cause'. She's getting the judge Tsunade to sign it now."

"Perfect."

"I'm assuming you've got him?" Sabaku Gaara's, the youngest leader of the narcotics division in history voice chipped in this time.

Reaching the car Naruto not-so-gently placed his hand on Sasuke's head and shoved him in the car; went around to his front seat and got in.

"Yeah," he said glancing up into the rear-view mirror and met Sasuke's unconcerned gaze staring right back at him; he didn't break the gaze; meeting the challenge on head-first. "We got him alight; send the search team; tear up his room; get every iota of evidence we can use to find this girl. I'll join you as soon as possible."

"Will do."

"Where'd a moron like you learn the word '_iota'_?" Sasuke grinned from the back seat. Sai nearly suffocated himself while laughing.

In contrast to every hostile reaction Naruto was known for he looked up into the mirror, grinned showing his wolf-like canines and replied, "Five years of high school, three years of criminology studies, six months of getting lectured by lawyers and a Supreme Court judge and two and half years of chasing punks like you... that answer your questions Uchiha?"

A head of black hair tossed to face the window, "Marginally."

They neared the precinct to face an even larger crowd of irate people; some even with placards and bullhorns.

"Shit." Naruto uttered, "The full circus is here."

Sai parked, "Well we can't avoid them, time's a wasting blondie...let's go."

Sighing again Naruto exited the vehicle, went around to the back door, reached in and gently hauled Sasuke out of the car. "Walk fast, head down and not a sound, got me?"

Sasuke smirked, "Sure."

The fifteen feet to the station was a trial of patience, fortitude and grim determination; people hemmed in on them from every side; shouting curses, obscenities and rare congratulations.

Inside the air-conditioned station they immediately swept the Uchiha toward the closest interrogation room available. Baki suddenly materialized like a ghost from the ether.

"I've taken you've mirandized him already?" he growled.

They paused glancing at each other. Baki's eyes narrowed, "You ha-"

"In actuality boss," Sai cut in, "he mirandized himself; must've took some law classes or something."

Baki massaged his forehead, "That isn't admissible by law...I'll have to go do it again. You all know what to do."

Naruto sighed and nodded, stepping back and went behind the black-screen to watch the interrogation; a marginal part of him feeling sorry for the kid; Baki's interrogation tactics usually left people in tachycardia.

They were silently joined by Iruka staring intently through the glass. Baki entered.

"State your name for the record." He ordered.

"Uchiha Sasuke." the raven answered evenly.

"Well Uchiha," Baki answered, "You are under arrest for kidnapping, aggravated assault and possible homicide. Everything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You're officially entitled to a lawyer, if you can't afford one the state will provide on for you. You have the right to remain si-"

"Not necessary." Sasuke interjected smoothly.

Baki started, "Excuse me?"

The teen leaned back into his chair and stared the chief in the eyes, "I'm officially waiving my right to legal counsel; but I have one condition..."

"And what's that?" Baki asked leaning in.

"The only person I'm going to talk to from here on is your blond officer, not-so-secretly watching the whole proceedings behind that glass...Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto's eyes opened wide...what the hell kind of game was this kid playing?

"Why?"

The kid just stared, eyebrow arched. Baki grunted, walked over to the wall knocked twice and left the room mumbling under his breath. Naruto closed his eyes for a second.

"Just listen." Iruka advised, "Let him talk."

"Iruka..."

The sable haired man just smiled knowingly, "Just trust your instincts."

Nodding the bronzed officer palmed the door knob and walked in silently taking the seat across from the table. They stared at each other for five tense minutes until Sasuke leaned back smiling softly.

"Do you like stories, Uzumaki?"

"Not particularly," he answered evenly, "But I'll listen anyway."

Sasuke nodded, "This tale begins twenty-seven years ago; an brilliant emerging business mogul from one of the most prominent clans in the country proposed and married an talented beautiful dancer of the Kohona National Opera. It was the perfect society marriage, complete with gifts from the president himself, magazine articles, a golden carriage, glass slippers, fireworks and half the country in attendance..."

Leaning in Naruto asked, "I'm curious...where does the fairy godmother come in?"

"I think you mean the wicked witch." Sasuke replied soberly, "But let me finish... The couple settled down, build a house; had fame, fortune, everything society requires of a celebrity couple including the required two children..."

"And let me guess," Naruto interjected once more, "You're one of those children."

Sasuke just smirked and continued, "...and then twelve years ago it all went to hell; the man was found guilty of corporate fraud and sentenced to prison where unfortunately he died of emphysema. The woman had a series of nervous breakdown until, sadly, she died too. The older brother took upon himself the task of raising the younger, while finishing his master's degree in accounting and working part time to put clothes on their backs and food on the table, both waiting patiently for the trust fund kicked in..."

Naruto went silent, something in his gut just warning him about what was going to be said next.

"...and then it got even worse; when the younger brother was finishing his last year in high-school, primed and ready for a career in business, the older brother mysteriously disappeared; leaving the younger confused and alone."

A pause.

"What do you want from us, Uchiha?" Naruto asked as quietly as possible.

"I want you to find my brother."

Naruto did some quick calculations in his head and realized Sasuke's brother has been missing for two years. "...He's been missing for what...two years...have you considered the possibility he might be dead."

Sasuke snapped, slamming his hands down on the table, "Itachi is _**not**_ dead!" he snarled. "And if you don't want this girl to be I'd suggest you find him." He leaned in, obsidian eyes hinting red, "Let's get this straight...I don't give a _**damn**_ about my life or future. I don't care if I don't graduate or spend fifty years in prison. I'll gladly give up _**everything**_ I have to find my brother; the one who clothed me, fed me, protected me, made sure I got my education, made sure I would live to see another day."

Naruto went silent marvelling about the dedication and the lengths this veritable child was going just to save his kin. "So to save one life you'd risk the life of another?"

"I had no choice, and be damn sure I have no regrets." He said obsidian eyes blank, hard and emotionless as he leaned forward to stare into the camera. "...either you find my brother of she dies."

_*****TBC*****_

(*)(*)(*)


	4. Breadcrumbs

**Title: Mockingbird**

**Chapter 3: Breadcrumbs**

**Pairings: Naru/Sasu. Kiba/TenTen**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, full stop... (but Kishi...if you want to sign it over to me, you wouldn't regret it...promise.)**

**Summary: "I had no choice, and be damn sure I have no regrets." He said obsidian eyes blank, hard and emotionless as he leaned forward to stare into the camera. "...either you find my brother of she dies.**

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><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Naruto silently pushed up from the table and left the room; walked to the inside vending machine and punched in an order for iced green tea. He turned around to see Iruka and Kiba walking towards him.

The Inuzuka silently leaned on the closest wall arms crossed while Iruka approached the pensive blond and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"No." Naruto sighed, "To think that he would give up everything...his education, his fortune, his future, his life...just one a miniscule chance that his brother is still alive."

Umino smiled, "I know, but Naruto, a bond like theirs isn't something that can be easily broken. Judging from his words Sasuke idolised his brother to the point of hero-worship. It's easily explainable, he feels like a part of him is missing if hi-"

The sound of high heels resounded on the tile floor; they all looked up to see state prosecutor TenTen Higushi walking towards them; Kiba immediately straightened.

"Ba-"

She silenced him with a sharp look. Walking over to Naruto she said simply. "I'm to understand he waived the right to counsel."

The blond nodded, she grinned, "Well that makes my job easier."

"Not so fast Higushi-san," Baki said approaching them, "We don't have her yet, to my knowledge you really can't prosecute until we have solid evidence."

Brown eyes widened, "You haven't found her?"

At that moment Naruto's cell rang, "Yea?"

"Uzumaki," the voice of the forensic officer named Aburame Shino spoke; "I'm getting freaked out man. You need to come to the university and see this; pronto."

"Okay." He hung up, "I've got to go," he announced, "Seems like those scavenger boys found something."

Sai glanced up, "Need me to drive you?"

"No," he said reaching under his desk to pull out his burnt orange motorcycle helmet, "I'll be back soon."

Pulling up beside the school he had left not even an hour ago; Naruto made his way to the male dorm sector; glancing up he snorted at the name; '_**Olympus'**_.

"Typical rich ass spoiled bastards." He sniffed.

Following the instructions he was given he made his way the sector called '_Sparta'_; he didn't have to go far, he could practically hear the slightly muffled voices of the search team. Approaching a wide opened door with the name plate Uchiha Sasuke he stepped in a stopped dead.

Each and every wall was plastered with paper, newspaper cut-outs, town sector maps, a huge mutli-year calendar with every past day for the last two years slashed out. Certain places on the map were circled with a deep red marker, others places slashed through with thick black 'X's'. One sector of the wall was completely covered with sticky notes with a name and locations and beside them pictures; the first of a blond with a fringe over one eye, the note captioned 'Deidara', the second a redhead with facial tattoos, 'Sasori', the third a purple haired and mesh shirt clad girl with a shark like grin, 'Anko'.

Naruto glanced up to the roof silently and grit his teeth, over the kid's bed was huge blown up picture of a man with an almost identical image of Sasuke; the only difference was his eyes were blood red and he had longer hair. That had to be Itachi. The blond idly wondered if the picture was a source of hope or constant torment.

Shifting his gaze to the freakishly neat desk he walked over and saw a thick folder about for inches high, sitting innocently on the table with another sticky note shouting in deep purple letters; '**HEAD START'.**

Snapping a latex glove on his right hand Naruto opened the folder. Inside were pictures of Itachi, medical records, finance reports, copies of filed missing person reports, profiles of various men and women, Itachi's lectures, business colleagues', even girlfriends.

"He was doing his own investigation." He murmured to himself looking up waving an aid to his side. "Bag and label everything," he said, holding up the folder, "This I'll take with me."

The aid nodded and handed him an evidence bag; just as he turned away someone called him back, "Officer."

He spun around, one forensic scientist walked up to him and handed him a baggie of stranded out pink hair and another of a tube of coral lipstick. "Bet you a thousand dollars these belong to her."

"Good work." He said leaving the room and immediately bumped into the Hyuuga kid from the lecture hall.

"I need to talk with you." The teen said seriously, "What I have to say might help."

Naruto paused, the bag with the folder under his arm, "Go ahead."

"An older cousin of mine was in Itachi's class," he said, "she would come home and tell me everything about him, how brilliant he was, how handsome he was, about his brother, his friends..."

Naruto was tapping his foot by this time, "Is there a point here?"

Moonstone eyes pierced him, "The point I'm making is that before he disappeared Itachi changed, he started hanging out with people from other side of the tracks, his grades fluctuated, he would show up to class looking spaced out or not at all. One day he had major breakdown in the cafeteria and the next day he disappeared.

My cousin though he was just taking break to get back to normal; but then a week passed; then a month...then six. The university had no record of a 'leave of absence' of a formal removal from the program. That's when Sasuke changed as well."

"You're a Hyuuga, right?" Naruto asked, "Can you think of anybody who'd harm the older Uchiha?"

Neji snorted, "Half the damn city. His father swindled some major players in this city, most of them lost millions; others not so much, but trust me all of them have long memories; they can hold a grudge for decades. I'd not be surprised if they had contacts with the yakuza."

"Are you implying that he was kidnapped?"

"Possibly." Neji said glancing at his watch. "I have to go, my business ethics class is starting."

"Okay." He paused then dug out his wallet and handed him a card, "If you can think of anything else, please give me a call, midnight or whenever; call me."

The Hyuuga glanced down the card and even if it wasn't that apparent his eyes widened for a smidgen, looked up and nodded, "Certainly."

Watching the kid walk off he wondered, "What is up with people and my name."

His cell rang, "Yes?"

"Uzumaki," Baki growled, "Get your ass back here, pronto."

"On my way boss."

"Uchiha." Naruto said to the teen hunched over the interrogations room table. The raven glanced up just as the Uzumaki gently placed the folder between them. Sasuke rolled his neck.

"I should probably tell you CSU found pink hair in your dorm room. If the DNA comes back hers you are screwed; we'll have more than enough evidence to prosecute you."

Sasuke snorted, "I expected that."

'_**He planted it.'**_ Naruto realized.

"What can you tell me about this?" Naruto asked prodding the folder before him. The Uchiha didn't even glance down.

"What does it look like, Uzumaki." Sasuke replied blankly, "For the last year and half I've reported my brother missing to every precinct from here to Tokyo. No one reacted; so I took the task up on myself."

Naruto nodded; logical. "Sasuke...what do you think happened when your brother disappeared?"

Black eyes met his; "Two weeks before he disappeared I saw Itachi at his study desk with a pile of papers before him mumbling about some money allocations or debt or something. Because he was training to be an accountant I didn't think much of it so I went to school. When I came home I found a huge pile of ash in the over; he burned the whole lot to cinders. Then a week after some people from the city council came to the mansion; Itachi told me they were conducting the annual re-assessing of the house. Still I didn't think much of it. The day after that I found a copy of our joint bank account statement; my half was intact; Itachi's wasn't; in fact it was practically depleted."

Blond brow quirked, "Are you implying that the Itachi was paying someone?"

"That I'm not sure of. Itachi invested the majority of our money into a fixed deposited to reach maturity in every month; the interest from the deposit was directly sent to his account; the one that was depleted."

"How much did he invest?"

"Two point five million yen." Sasuke answered plainly. "It was all we could scavenger from my father's estate. But when I traced his financial history I found that sometimes there would be a massive amount of cash deposited into his account and soon it disappeared."

Naruto paused for a second; "Do you think he was in some money laundering action?"

Sasuke paused, "I wouldn't want to believe it because Itachi has more sense than that, but it's possible."

"Sasuke..." Naruto asked, "Have you received any threats of any kind; notes, mysterious phone calls, emails?"

"Not to my knowledge. I'm thirsty." Sasuke cut in, "don't you people have any kind of basic hospitality in here?"

Naruto pushed up from the table; "I'll get you something to drink, iced-tea okay?"

The Uchiha nodded.

The blond exited the room and made his way to the vending machine when it happened again; the lights flicked off and the main console flicked on.

This time the video feed showed the girl sitting down on what looked like a concrete floor; her back braced on a wall of the same material, eyes closed, the harsh light still illuminating her shivering body. Looking intently you could see the hints of a blue sky and the barest hint of a wispy cloud.

"_**FIVE HOURS GONE; SHE'S BEEN MOVED. I'D SUGGEST YOU HURRY."**_

"Damn," Naruto murmured just as a thought he hadn't considered slammed into his head. Grabbing the bottle of tea he re-entered the room.

"You have an accomplice," he accused, "don't you."

"I'm taking it that you've seen the second video." The raven replied.

"Answer the question." He grated out.

The Uchiha just smiled softly, and something in that action made Naruto snap. "You think this is funny, don't you! She's in pain punk, and if we don't find her you will be!"

"You mean just like you were?" he asked almost silently

Naruto reeled back, "W...what?"

"Uzumaki Naruto;" Sasuke started, "The son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina; you might not know this but you father was my father's best friend and colleague; they practically grew up together. I know all about you and I know that your father gave his life to save yours; someone he loved to the point of giving up everything to save you. I'm trying to do the same thing."

He leaned back just as the stunned officer opened his mouth the door flew open.

"Naruto." Baki said sticking his head in the room and jerked it to the left. "You need to see this."

Sighing the blond officer got up, shot Sasuke a searching look and left the room. Following Baki down the hall to the pulsing plasma and LCD den Shikamaru called home; they entered.

The tech genius was staring intently at the screen; tapping some keys on the ergonomic keyboard of his. The feed paused and then zoomed in. Shikamaru angled the focus to the ground where there was dark field beside her; her shadow.

The Nara clicked another button and a shimmering triangle popped up on the screen and some numbers. Naruto had no idea what he was looking at.

"Circular trigonometry." Shikamaru answered without looking up. "If you know the height of the object, the length of the shadow, the time and date the image was capture you can actually figure out its location."

"So you know where she is?" he asked adrenaline pumping into his veins like molten lava.

"Hold on..." Shikamaru tapped some more keys, a virtual map of the city popped up, "...looks like she's at one of the Shinto temple in upstate Makuki-Cho."

The blond immediately turned and stalked out of the room; the temple sector was at least forty-five minutes' drive; he glanced at his watch and cursed; calculating the traffic and the drive time they had less than an hour to find her.

"SAI!" he shouted, "We've gotta go!"

The other officer nodded; just as they were at the door Shikamaru called after them: "Guys," he said approaching them with a fast pace holding a piece of paper his hands.

"What?" Naruto asked between grit teeth.

"The video." He replied simply, "I tracked the time stamp on the vid, it's been delayed; this is not a live recording; it was taken three hours ago. Chances are by the time you get there she'll have been moved again."

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><p><strong>...nothing to say...nothing at all.<strong>


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